I’ve personally had the opportunity and pleasure to attend his classes and become IROC certified; a digital certification that I highly recommend that you, your child, and your child’s school take advantage of. In these days of budget cuts there’s no need to be overly concerned about the cost to have IROC come to your school, community, or group. IROC is a non-profit and inclusion in this program is not based on how much money you have, or don’t.

I witnessed firsthand outside of my own school community how IROC’s program dramatically affects those who are educated through this program—including those in middle school, high school, as well as parents, and even six-year-olds. I was so inspired by the impact of Richard’s work that I’ve made plans to have my own children become IROC certified, and Richard and I have aligned our efforts.

That said, I will leverage my connections in an effort to educate and engage both parents and students at every opportunity I have. Optimistically speaking, though I’ve blogged about the technology issues that the OWN network was plaguing by, and consequently caused my audition nightmare, the IROC program is one that I would want to introduce to the rest of the world through my show, The Joy of Online Safety.

Richard also created the Institutes unique and award winning education programs and resources, including the establishment of the Office of Cyber General and 2.1 Certifications (of which I am the proud recipient of). Additionally, he is the architect and primary orator of the Institutes nationally acclaimed 21st Century Digital Safety, Responsibility, and Awareness speaking program.

What I like about the IROC program is that its interactive “Live Event” perpetually evolves based on the development and discovery of new digital tools, trends, and issues, all while delivering a consistent message to debunk the prevailing myths regarding privacy and digital technology. I love it when I consistently see young teens challenge the IROC staff regarding their safety and privacy concerns. Of course, these teens think they “know it all”, but I’m sure they’re surprised when they see the IROC crew rock their perspective in a powerful, yet non-compromising or intimidating way.

IROC’s Mission Statement: The Institute’s mission is unique in that it does not solely focus on existing trends such as “sexting” and “cyber bullying”, but rather communicates a necessary Digital Consciousness™ that serves as the foundation for a uniform and proactive solution to any digital issue. The Institute is an ambassador to Digital Enlightenment™, and desires to construct a global digital community free of negative and sometimes irreversible consequences resulting from poor digital judgment. The Institute strives to achieve this goal via our “Live Event” by demonstrating that all digital actions are Public and Permanent!

Comments

Hello,
Dr. Eitan Schwarz’ book, KIDS, PARENTS & TECHNOLOGY: A GUIDE FOR YOUNG FAMILIES may be of interest to your readers. He too is focused on helping and preparing families in a digital world.
His website, http://mydigitalfamily.org is another useful and handy resource.
I hope this is helpful.
Thank you,
Ellen Lebowitz

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About Mary Kay Hoal

Mary Kay is a nationally-recognized expert in social media and digital safety. She is the founder and president of Yoursphere Media, Inc. which owns and operates Yoursphere, Yoursphere for Parents, Connectu Media, and the education non-profit FCISER.You can learn more about her work at marykayhoal.com.